Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

An artificial lake created by Jozankei Dam, a scenic spot near Sapporo where you can experience the changing seasons from the observation deck.

Sapporo Lake, created in 1989 when Jozankei Dam dammed the Otarunai River, is a scenic spot where a deep blue lake surface is surrounded by mountains. Along the lakeside drive route, four observation decks are maintained, each allowing you to enjoy different expressions of the lake. In spring, pale new greenery frames the lake surface; in summer, deep green mountains reflect on the calm water surface; in autumn, blazing autumn colors paint the entire lake. On windless days, the mirror-like lake surface reflects the sky and mountains, and you can experience breathtaking beauty while enveloped in forest scent and silence.

At Jozankei Dam Downstream Park directly below the dam, you can look up at the massive 117.5m-high dam body from directly below. At the Jozankei Dam Museum in the park, you can learn about the dam's construction history and flood control mechanisms, and during opening periods, it's also possible to tour inside the dam body. The extraordinary experience of proceeding through cool passages surrounded by concrete walls allows you to feel the scale of the dam firsthand.